The invention generally relates to an eyewear temple structure, in particular, a spring hinge provided on an eyewear temple. Common eyewear temples are generally categorized into rather wide temples made of metal or resin having low elasticity, and thinner temples using metal or resin having much elasticity. The present invention relates to a spring hinge which is provided particularly on the former rather wide temples made of metal or resin having low elasticity and enables the temple to open with elasticity.
FIG. 9 is a sectional view of the main components of a conventional spring hinge box 70. A core rod 71 is inserted in a spring 73 as a sliding member, and it is surely difficult to use a member of wide diameter for a coil spring between the box and core rod. The rate of occurrence of damage to the spring part by using a thin spring is considerably high.
FIGS. 10A-10C are explanatory drawings in which the spring hinge box 70 is used on a low-elasticity and wide temple lly. If one attempts to make the width m smaller as in FIG. 10B, a small spring hinge box surely must be used. If so, as in FIG. 10C, as the vertical width 2h of the temple becomes greater, the force F, having twisted and turned left and right, comes to be applied more in the vicinity of a comma part 55 and a shaft screw 55a by the principle of a lever, and it becomes a cause of damage to the comma or projection part and shaft screw.
As shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B, this problem may be solved if the spring hinge box 71 is made larger and the spring hinge member inside is made larger, but the bulk width increases, it becomes more bulky and hard to handle and is aesthetically spoiled. Also, the weight of the temple part and a force for opening and bending are increased and are directly applied to the spring. Thus, serious accidents of bending of the screw also may occur.
An object of the present invention is to provide an eyewear temple with a spring hinge, which solves the problems described previously, and reduces damages to the hinge comma part, shaft screw and spring.
Another object of the invention is to provide an eyewear temple, which is made easier to handle so as not to be bulky, and is made so as not to be aesthetically spoiled.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention.
In an embodiment of the invention, on the front end of a metal temple, there is provided a hexahedral housing part, in which the front face and one side face of a front end are opened and the remaining four faces become walls. On the inner wall of another side face of the housing part and in the center of the opened front face, there is formed a bump serving as a spring stopping element, which is pierced by a blind hole for fastening screw. A U-shaped guide member has a comma part on each of the two free ends, wherein each of the comma parts is made to project inward from the front face of the temple front end, such that at least the comma shaft hole does not overlap with the inner corner part of the vertical wall of the temple. The guide member is tightly held in the temple housing part so as to be capable of sliding in the longitudinal direction of the temple.
A compression coil spring is housed within the two arms and the bottom part or abutment portion of the U-shaped guide member and the bump serving as the spring stopping element, so as to be capable of expanding and contracting in the longitudinal direction of the temple.
There is prepared a cover member, which has at least two through-holes for screws. One of the through-holes for screws is made to align with the blind hole for fastening screw of the spring stopping element, and the other is made to align with a blind hole for fastening screw, which is opened on the temple side face further back from the housing part. The open side of the temple is closed by the cover member and is fixed by screws, and a comma part on the frame side and the comma parts on both ends of the U-shaped guide member are connected by a shaft screw so as to be capable of opening out and swiveling.
By adopting the structure, it has become possible to provide the invention while reducing the damage to the above-mentioned comma parts, shaft screw, and spring, and without spoiling the aesthetics of the temple. Also, repair also has become easier to perform.